Infant Rape: 8 Day Old Baby Assaulted

This is NOT a story that fits with the theme of this blog -- actually, it is the exact antithesis of what I hope to spread through the work I do. However, it is a subject I am ultra sensitive to. And just as women and men who are raped as adults often find healing, and bring about positive change, in having their stories and voices heard, I do believe we should not be so quick to set aside the horrors that occur daily to babies in our own backyards. This innocent tiny little one - fresh and new to this earth - deserves to be heard, helped, and healed.

I have decided not to publish a photo of Davis (the rapist in this case) because I do not wish to glorify him or make him into the infamous character of this story. I hate the way media so often uses scare tactics and only reports on the "bad" news. Yet, at the same time, crimes such as this just cannot be ignored. We must be aware of them and talk about them in order to take steps to STOP them from happening.

The United States is currently the developed nation with the highest rates of rape, bar none. There are reasons that this is true. I am not going to pretend to have all the answers or have it all figured out -- but there are some really big indicators - some red flags - we see when we look at how we (in the U.S.) parent our little ones compared to those in other developed (and many undeveloped) nations. There are likely links between our high rates of violent, drugged, birth (void of natural 'love' hormones), genital cutting after birth, lack of breastfeeding, lack of babywearing/holding, lack of shared sleep/night-time parenting, crying-it-out, physical punishment, and not enough gentle, involved, primal, passionate, attached, mothering and fathering. It may just be time we start paying attention to these modern day differences and how they are impacting us in grave ways.

My heart is breaking as I report upon this, but I pray someday it is not a similar story that I hear physicians at our state Children's Hospital telling any longer.

A Forrest City, AR man, Reginald Davis, has been charged with raping his 8 day old baby.

Police were called to the Forrest City Medical Center after a baby was administered with a skull fracture and evidence of sexual assault. The infant was immediately transferred to the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock due to the severity of the injuries.

Although Davis had no adult criminal record (at 18-years-old) his juvenile RAP sheet has not been released for public record under AR state law.

While visiting the mother of his 8-day-old baby, Davis volunteered to watch the infant while his 15-year-old girlfriend took a shower. According to police reports, other people were also home at the time of the rape (including the baby's grandmother), but either no one knew what was happening, or no one stepped in to stop it.

When the young mother was finished with her shower, she noticed blood on her baby. Davis rode along to the hospital with the baby's mother and grandmother. After the infant was examined and transferred to the AR Children's Hospital, police were called and Davis was arrested.

Sadly, we find many cases such as this at state Children's Hospitals around the country. It would be nice to believe these things never happen (and hard to fathom that they actually do). But emergency care providers see cases such as this all too frequently. There are likely more that never make it into the doors of a hospital. We know that the majority of rapists (for example) were themselves victims of sexual assault as babies or children. Several studies conducted in the 1980s and 1990s demonstrated that 100% of serial rapists were victims of sexual abuse as children.

Sexual assault of infants (babies under the age of 3) is different from pedophilia (sexual arousal/contact with pre-pubescent children over the age of 3). Experts working with sex crimes and psychopathology state that this form of infant rape seems to occur because the rapist does not see the baby before him as a boy or girl - a baby or toddler - or even as a human being. S/He is merely another 'opening' into which to get off on. It is the ultimate case of using and abusing another human being.

Sadly, an obvious question is often brought up in cases like this -- how could someone physically penetrate a baby? After all, this tiny newborn has very tiny everything. And, as horrifying as it is - that is exactly what appeals to those raping an infant. The tight, small space.

This form of sexual assault would obviously hurt a baby to extremes like none other. Babies scream - do all they can to get away (responses that are the same as those we see when babies are genitally cut apart via circumcision). This is why babies are often gagged first by the predator - duct tape over their mouths - something to hold them still, keep them quiet. This little baby likely suffered skull fractures as a result of being held down tightly by Davis while being sexually abused.

The rape of a human being of this small size causes catastrophic internal injuries to various organs, and many babies die. Those brought into emergency rooms after surviving this trauma are often found to have broken spines and collar bones from the weight of a man when he presses upon, or collapses onto, the baby at ejaculation. [Side note: 100% of those charged with infant rape in the United States are male.]

In this case, Davis is being charged with Rape and Second-Degree Battery. He is currently being held in jail on a $100,000.00 bond. Psychologists have examined him and deem Davis competent to stand trial as an adult, noting that he grew up in an abusive and violent home himself. His mother has told reporters she does not think her son is guilty, but Davis has already admitted to "accidentally penetrating and dropping" his 8-day-old baby.

Please, do what you can, in your own way, to foster the wisdom of mothers and fathers, and encourage the peaceful parenting and protection of little ones around you.

"ACCIDENTALLY"? Come off it! This so-called "person" is a monster. No, not even that describes IT... I don't think I can think of a strong enough word. Ugh, I feel sick reading this. I hope he gets (or already got) what's coming to him.

I've been doing some research on the subject for about a month now because I just can't believe things like this happen. I already think that raping or touching children above 5 yrs is horrible and disturbing but doing this on tiny little babies??? They are so tiny and precious. Why? How? I threw up and cried after reading this story.

I think by not informing ourselves on what is happening in the world because it hurts and angers us is a terrible thing. I talked about this to my boyfriend yesterday and he didn't want to know the rest of the story because it angers him to much! Open your eyes for crying out loud!!! If it angers you too much, imagine how that poor little child felt?? I think that the more we know, the more we want to change things. So come on, open your eyes everyone...please.

This makes me sick to my stomach... Its one reason I made the choice to be a stay at home mom.... for fear I would be leaving my baby with a monster.. I am very selective on who I leave my kids with... its normally just my mom.. otherwise I have them 24/7. This is sick.. This is more then disturbing. That poor poor innocent baby!! He deserves to have a slow and painful death. Ugh..

These are the kind of monsters who we should execute for the safety of other children, or at the bare minimum keep them in a maximum security prison for life. Tragically, our laws are far too lenient on child rapists and molesters. They often molest many children before being caught, and then spend very little time in jail before being let out to ruin more children's lives. We know these people were molested themselves, but if we don't stop the cycle with a zero tolerance policy for those who sexually abuse children, it will continue on and on. We will never eradicate evil, but removing these parasites from society is desperately needed to protect our children.

(I know this was posted awhile ago - I first saw it now when it was a recommended post at the bottom of another of your posts).

While the situation is not the same, the rage this article brought up in me is very, very familiar. When my now 4 year old was a few weeks old, I was so worried about her constant crying and arching and spitting up that I brought her to the PA on duty at our little rural clinic, rather than waiting until her regular FP would be on duty the next week.

I explained that I had done a lot of research and I was worried about reflux. He was instead fixated on her bowel habits. I explained that she was solely breastfed, breastmilk was absorbed very efficiently and quickly, and that I wasn't there because she didn't poop 5 times a day - I was worried about the spitting up at every feeding and the arching. He said he needed to go and take care of something and would be right back - that I should try and feed her so that he could see this reaction I was talking about.

When he came back about 10 minutes later, she was a little fussy and started squirming. He looked at me, held out his big man hands, and asked, "Would it be okay if I inserted my pinky into her anus to see if she's constipated?"

WHAT? No, I wouldn't be okay with that! I grabbed my baby, started getting her redressed, and tried to leave. He stood in front of the door and said that I didn't want to try medication (not true - it was never offered as an option). All I could think is my tiny baby girl - her anus was maybe, MAYBE the size of the "O" on my keyboard, and he wanted to stick his 4-5 times as large pinky up her anus? What kind of sicko is this? And how many mothers just hand their defenseless baby over and say, "fix it, doc!"

He would have torn her open had I allowed that. I can't even imagine the pain this baby in the story went through with something so much larger being forced in.

OMG I'm so glad that you didn't let him do that. What is this man's name? You should post about this on the internet using his name. I fear that other women will hear this request and think it is normal procedure or something. Obviously some must, because he had the nerve to ask. Spread the word!

I came across this when I googled "infant rape" because a friend of mine had told me a horrifying story and I didn't believe it. I didn't believe it was possible for something this loathsome and vile to exist.

As I look at my sweet child's face, this infant who I brought into the world only 8 weeks ago, I have such emotion and empathy towards the tiny victim in this story. In my pregnancy I was urged to abort by close family and friends (the father and I didn't get along), then I was told I should adopt if I was so set on giving birth. Since his birth I have had him take naps on my chest every day, I walk with him in my moby wrap whenever possible, and never let him out of my sight other than when we're both asleep. I do not trust anyone, not my family, not my closest friends, not his pediatrician or my midwife to be near him without me right there. And now I know that I'm not just paranoid, if this sort of behavior is a reality...

Seeing this tiny, sweet, adorable new life and having to picture such horrors befalling one so young caused me to actually wretch. This is the most despicable thing I have ever heard of, and there is NO excuse for it, I don't care WHAT the perp. went through when he was younger. It is simply inhuman. I believe awareness of this does need to be raised, just as awareness of all crimes needs to be raised. This one, above all, would pull at the hearts of all who heard it if only the existence of such crimes was common knowledge.

Thank you for posting it. As traumatizing as it is even to just know about, I know that it proves my vigilance is justified and I believe that no mother should be even the least bit careless when it comes to those most precious.

my 5.5mth olds father always had a problem with looking at our baby girl(he wanted a boy) to the point that he would always cover his eyes when she was bathing or changing... one night he came over to see her(we are separated) and while I slept he took "care" of her... the next morning when I woke up he told me he had changed her diaper(first time he ever did it), and he made a point to me that he even opened her privates to clean inside her:O since then her lips almost look wrinkled on the inside part, when before that day they were always so closed they would not come apart(i never tried)... I am infuriated with myself for trusting him with her now:( I don't think he meant any harm(or maybe I am in denial that he might have)but I know for sure when the time comes that he wants to take her out without me there I will fight him all the way...

This is so terrible to read. I know I don't know you or your ex but I feel strongly that you should report this to the authorities, so if he does try to see her alone you have defense. I don't think he meant no harm. I'm sorry to say

Think about the 9 months you carried your child in your womb. Think about her precious kicks, her squirms. Think how peaceful she was in your belly. She loves you and she showed you this love by the way she sucked on your breast when hungry, how she felt consoled when you held her, the way she squeezed her tiny palm around your finger. Your baby is helpless without you, without your voice, your protection. If you love her STAY AWAY FROM THAT MAN. If this man is someone you want to spend the rest of your life with then know your baby girl will be experiencing pain beyond what she can express. And you were the cause of it.

well he was doing it to clean her all the way, also depending on how far in he went, it was also his 1st time changing a female baby, all aslong as the baby is not hurting, i sometimes miss cleaning inbetween my babies lips and she gets a really bad rash so i have to open and fold the wipe and get the poopy out with the corner of it, my baby is way way shunky so she rashes with everything, keep ur baby clean. make sure its a female and not the male dealing inside cleaning we do not want him hurting the baby.

My baby was raped (digitally and orally) and I didn't know until she told me at age 3. In retrospect, I see all the signs. She masturbated obsessively in car seats, shopping carts, and cried when he came to visit. CPS was useless, even though she told them what happened. They let him off, and now 5 years later, I see on facebook, he is in a relationship with a woman who has a 1 year old. I am sick about it and there's nothing I can do. It's heart wrenching that I know this child is his new victim and there's nothing I can do. BTW, he's a classic narcissist. I think most of these sickos are.

I am in no way defending this guy. This is some terrible stuff. I just wish there was more of the information that does apply here. I was astonished to read that he had a history that at least included armed robbery charges and he is mentally retarded with an IQ lower than 60. I dont know, we all want to protect peoples rights but I feel he shouldnt have been alone with the baby to start with. His girlfriend, the babys Mom, was only 15.

absolutly disgusting ...and for Davis to try and say he accidentally penitrated and dropped his 8 day old baby is a load of BS ...that poor baby...there are not enough words or actions that could ever undue something so ******* wrong ....on a side note the statistic that - 100% of those charged with infant rape in the US are men- could have been more appropriatly posted elsewhere because rape in the US and the rest of the world is defined rather differently throughout the many law enforcment agencies (for example the FBIs definition of rape excludes all rape except forcible rape of females) and other forms of rape come under more specific tearms such as sexual assult and sexual misconduct ect other countries even go as far as saying rape only includes the forced penitration of a womans vagina and some countries include even mental abuse of a sexual nature to be included in the term rape any way the varying definitions go on my point is not the particulars on rape definition just that women and men are both cappable and proven to be both carring and cruel and as a woman it made me feel offended that whilst discussing a very sensitive matter a statistic like that could be attached without any consideration to all the good men out there who feel just as appaled as the rest of us or worse for the people that have been abused by a woman as a child ...in my opinion the people who abuse others especially children/babies do not deserve to be tittled men or women they are the sort of monsters that dont even belong in horror stories ...my heart goes out to the poor child and any person who has suffered directly or indirectly due to any form of sexual assault

They all need to live the rest of their lives in prison and be tortured too, every single second of their pathetic lives! I dont give a f**k if they were abused or molested. The person or persons who molested these rapists should pay too. Sick bastards

really this made me want to puke while reading it... i don't always agree with capital punishment, but in EVERY case like this, i believe they ALL deserve to die. i don't care if they were abused or even if they are mentally incompetent to be honest, they just do not deserve to live on this earth... they are all a waste of oxygen.

This horrific type of thing happens all the time in black countries such as South Africa, where it is thought that sex with a baby cures HIV/Aids. This is the truth, it happens, and some black people believe it.

The rape of babies in Africa is because having sex with a virgin is supposed to cure HIV/Aids, not babies. This is just a way to ensure they are virgins... It is really upsetting. But it has nothing to do with whether someone is white or black.

The worst thing I can think of is this. The fact is some probably have had this happen to them and don't remember and probably think their lives are just messed up for no good reason. The mental state is damaged. It is like a switch. Once it happens- that kids life is ruined from the getgo. Maybe good parenting can help, but years and years of SOME type of therapy, might be of service but ultimately they never get closure because msybe they go their whole lives never "remembering." they do deserve to die. this is sick. I am going to drink some coffee.

HES GOING TO HELLLLLLLLL wtf I know this is old but that scum bag is disgusting! I'd have a horse "accidentally " penetrate him and then "accidentally" kick him in the head before he gets the old time electric chair with a dry sponge.

While I have no children of my own, I have a niece who is only two-months-old and I am literally physically sick over the thought of anyone EVER harming her. I cannot wrap my mind around the idea of anyone looking at a child as anything less than a human being who deserves nothing but love and protection.

I pray that that sweet baby's pain subsides and her wounds heal and that she has already forgotten the horrible abuse she suffered. I hope she is happy and safe, and that that monster of a man is punished severely for what he has done, that he is never able to harm another child for as long as he lives. I don't like to wish ill on people, but I hope this man ROTS.

Thank you for writing this website to defend children and expose the cruelty against them.I am a survivor, I don't know how old I was, but, when I was small I was in alot of pain. Because it hurt between my legs, I thought I was becoming a woman, so I said," I better be quiet and be strong so I can take it like a woman." I thought all little girls was in pain. None of my family members said a word when they saw me shake like I was stabbed between my legs.No one speaks about the women who sit silently and say or do nothing to protect their children.

My heart breaks at the thought of a baby being abused but being sexully abused and raped it tears me into bits I cant comprehend how it happens and how a mind even thinks to do such! if I had a gun I would kill every sick mind in the world nomatter if they were family friends teachers whoever! that's where people go wrong they think they know their partner or friend or family so well that they put their child at risk due to not thinking smart and being able to question even the most trusted! I would never let my girl get harmed I heard of the Brianna lopez story then I put my girl to sleep and watching her be so content and the way they trust you I started to cry as I imagined a little baby staring for trust and suddenly being smacked around penetrated and then thrown th the roof and let to drop being bitten by them all it breaks my heart makes me want to cruel into a hole with my daughter to keep her safe as I fear the worst and i cant save them all! I truly wish i knew that baby girl i culd have saved her i want to save them all i see my girl cry for a feed or a burp and that tugs my heart strings to imagine a baby screaming in shock of a sick ass hole sticking their filth in them it really breaks me apart and not just the moment or the hour but it hurts every day cos i never forget! our laws are so weak the government is so weak if they were strong and gave a real crap then preditors wouldn't have rights when they have proof eg Brianna lopez yet they still realese the sick mother who joined in, seriously i could run the law better!

I am a survivor of infant rape. Five years ago, in my forties, I started having body memories. I had fragmented memories of screaming, lungs collapsing (suffocation) due to his weight, intense pain on my upper back from the thrusts. Parts of my body remain numb to this day. Three years ago I received an email from my estranged mother trying to re-engage my loyalties by telling me what she knew (I hadn't told her anything; she said "God revealed it to her"). She said when I was 12 months old my (now estranged) father was stopped by a policeman at a rest stop who accused him of molesting his baby. My father told my mother he was "traumatized" by the accusation and that he was only changing a messy diaper. I've felt enraged at the denial within our society. I'm probably alive due to the policeman, but he didn't arrest my father, and gave me back to him; the violence continued. I was raised in a middle class family of high achievers. My parents, both pedophiles, are highly functional. The neighbors, church members, and extended family considered us a "model family."

It is 6 am in London and I read about this. What is happening in this world. Something like this to happen to a beautiful baby andAn innocent little thing, a tiny gorgeous. I cannot believe it. This is something out of a horror story. Is this kind of thing happeningNow, is stuff like this happening in England. God bless children all over the world any tiny little ones like this